"This is a big step towards the fulfilment of the Single Market and in the creation of a European dynamic economy with the fastest and most qualitative capacity for mobile broadband and new services" - Gunnar Hökmark MEP

"It is all about whether Europe should be number one or if we are content with being third or fourth. By liberating more frequencies for wireless broadband we can create the best possibilities for fast broadband, new broadband services and a European leadership in an area crucial for tomorrow's competitiveness", said Gunnar Hökmark, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, as he presented his legislative Report on the first European Radio Spectrum Programme on Monday.

Modern information technology and related services will develop even faster during the upcoming decade than the last. We are now creating the environment for tomorrow's Google, Yahoo and Apple to emerge in Europe while also making it possible for the European telecom industry to keep the leadership globally.

Gunnar Hökmark's legislative proposal calls for the so-called 800 band to be liberated for wireless broadband in 2013 at the latest, that the bands 1.5 GHz and 2.3 GHz are also made available for mobile broadband as well as for preparations to be made for a future liberation of the 700 band. An area for use free of licenses, on short distances, in theatres or churches and for Wifi should be made available on the 5 GHz band. His proposal also creates a European register for the long-term coordination of the spectrum from 300 MHz to 6GHz and subsequently to 70 GHz. Transferable licenses create opportunities to build European services, thereby eliminating roaming and expensive connections abroad.

"This is a big step towards the fulfilment of the Single Market and the creation of a dynamic European economy with the fastest and most qualitative capacity for mobile broadband and new services", Gunnar Hökmark MEP concluded.

For further information:

Gunnar HÖKMARK MEP, Tel: +33-3-88177822

Per Heister, EPP Group Press and Communications Service, Tel: +32-496-645530

Notes to Editors:

The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 265 Members.